388 replies to this topic

[Chris B]

Rutgers to the Big Ten official.

[BSLMikeLowe]

CBS Sports: Florida State president calls ACC 'strong' but says he'll watch Terps' exit-fee fight

http://www.cbssports...exit-fee-fight-

“So Florida State's budget situation is, I think, nothing like Maryland's budget situation at all.”

Two ways to interpret that:

1) We're not desperate for money, so we don't feel compelled to leave for a more lucrative deal.
2) We're not desperate for money, so if MD gets the buyout a little lower nothing will stand in the way of our leaving.

My guess.....both are true.

[BSLMikeLowe]

http://sportsillustr...st-realignment/

Louisville coach Rick Pitino best summed up how those around the Big East responded to the news of Maryland and Rutgers jumping to the Big Ten.

"I'm just blindsided," Pitino said late Monday night. "I didn't see any of it coming. I'm totally dumbfounded. I don't know what to think or say."

I don't know what kind of relationship he has with K and Roy, but if I'm Pitino I'm on the phone with those two right now begging for them to use whatever influence they have in the ACC to lobby for Louisville over UConn. I'd hate to be whichever of those two schools gets left behind.

[mweb08]

Duke is the team that every network wants on as much as possible.

Why do you think there games against crap teams are always on, while MD is on ESPN3?

Whether its the ESPN stations, CBS, TNT or whoever...they want Duke on TV because they bring in the best ratings. Its just how it is.

Yes, but media markets and football are the two biggest factors driving these moves, not basketball.

[Pedro Cerrano]

If Clemson and FSU both leave for the SEC, then yes, the ACC is in real trouble.

[BSLChrisStoner]

College Basketball Talk / NBC Sports:
http://collegebasket...in-realignment/

Russ Thaler talks with Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated about the recent realignment in the ACC and the imminent ripple effect that will be felt around the NCAA.

Some interesting thoughts here.

[BSLChrisStoner]

If Clemson and FSU both leave for the SEC, then yes, the ACC is in real trouble.

I think those schools are more likely to leave for the Big 12.

[Oriole85]

ESPN: Aztecs committed to Big East future

http://espn.go.com/c...mitted-big-east
Wonder how long until they change their tune?

[Chris B]

Joe Schad ‏@schadjoe
What's fueling continued conference realignment? One high-ranking school official said: "It's 35 percent fear. And 65 percent greed."

[Oriole85]

ESPN: Jim Boeheim: People playing games

http://espn.go.com/m...nce-realignment

"Rivalries don't matter to anyone anymore," Boeheim said. "If you ask someone at West Virginia if they like going to Texas Tech or Texas A&M and all those places, ask their fans whether they really like that. Maybe they do. I don't know. I don't get it. It's just the way it's going. There's nothing you can do about it.

[BSLMikeLowe]

http://digital.olive....&view=ZW50aXR5

It's mostly speculation, but I've suspected this could happen since the defections last year, and makes even more sense now with the recent defection(s) plus no automatic BCS access.

There are four all-sports members remaining in the current Big East. Rutgers (headed to the Big Ten) announced this week that it was following in the footsteps of Pittsburgh and Syracuse (ACC) and leaving the conference. Connecticut, Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida remain as present members with full voting rights, with Temple gaining that status in July. Plans are to inject six new football schools into the mix for next season, but those schools won’t become voting members until July. This week’s move by Rutgers and Maryland to the Big Ten has cast some doubt over the Big East’s expansion designs and also raised speculation that the seven Catholic, basketball-centric Big East schools could be nearing a “tipping point” due to the instability on the football side.

Representatives of some of those seven schools said this week that the tipping point would be reached if either Connecticut or Louisville heads to another league. Such a loss would be infinitely more important to the basketball schools than Rutgers leaving, because it would further erode an already badly damaged basketball core.

Losing a UConn or Louisville would also give the basketball schools the opportunity to engineer an unprecedented power play and vote to dissolve the league. According to the Big East’s bylaws, the conference can be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of all members. The seven basketball schools, which include Providence College, would own that voting advantage over three all-sports members (Cincinnati, South Florida and either UConn or Louisville). That voting edge would disappear in July, when new members Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and SMU come onboard

.

[Oriole85]

If the ACC further dissolves, I like the idea of the remaining schools between the ACC/Big East forming their own superconference of sorts.

[BSLMikeLowe]

If the ACC further dissolves, I like the idea of the remaining schools between the ACC/Big East forming their own superconference of sorts.

I think the BE Catholic schools will go their own way, maybe do something with A-10 schools. I can't imagine after all this that they will want anything to do with football-playing schools. If the ACC gets pillaged I think they'll just take the best of the remaining BE schools, and the rest of the BE football schools would go back to CUSA or MWC. I don't know if the Catholic schools could hang onto the Big East trademark/brand somehow or not. But if it comes down to a choice I think they will go with the re-branding route.

[Chris B]

Tulane to the Big East...

[Chris B]

ALso, East Carolina to the Big East as a football-only member beginning in 2014.

[Oriole85]

Tulane to the Big East...

ACC was clearly ahead of the Big East when they began raiding the conference almost a decade ago. The Big East is just becoming a glorified C-USA.

[Oriole85]

CBS Sports: Denver leaving WAC for the Summit next year

http://www.cbssports...ummit-next-year

[SBTarheel]

Hearing from some of the Carolina people that the ACC could name a new team as early as tomorrow..Perhaps Cincinnati or Louisville?

[Oriole85]

Hearing from some of the Carolina people that the ACC could name a new team as early as tomorrow..Perhaps Cincinnati or Louisville?

I thought it was more UConn or Louisville, although Cincy has been mentioned.

[BSLMikeLowe]

ACC was clearly ahead of the Big East when they began raiding the conference almost a decade ago. The Big East is just becoming a glorified C-USA.

Assuming UConn departs, then the Big East pretty much WILL be C-USA, pre-2004.